CCB To Probes Akpabio Over Alleged N100m Bribe

Senator Godswill Akpabio, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs has been invited by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) over his alleged involvement in a N100-million bribe paid to some officials of the Bureau.

A Federal Commissioner in CCB, Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma disclosed this on Monday while speaking with journalists in Abuja.

Akpabio, who is also the former Governor of Akwa Ibom State was alleged to have offered a bribe to unidentified CCB officials to clear the interim Sole Administrator of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Efiong Okon Akwa, of wrongdoing on the declaration of his assets since 2013.

Akwa, who was reportedly assigned as Special Assistant on Finance to former Managing Director of the NDDC, Bassey Dan-Abia, whose appointment he facilitated between 2013 and 2015, was said to have failed to declare his assets since his first appointment in 2013 and after he was appointed as interim Sole Administrator in breach of the CCB and Tribunal Act.

The Act which state in Part 1, Section 15 under Declaration of Assets, provides in subsection 1(a-c) that “Every public officer shall, within fifteen months after the coming into force of this Act or immediately after taking office and thereafter- (a) at the end of every four years; (b) at the end of his term of office; and (c) in the case of a serving officer, within thirty days of the receipt of the form from the Bureau or at such other intervals as the Bureau may specify, submit to the Bureau a written declaration in the First Schedule to this Act or, in such form as the Bureau may, from time to time, specify, of all his properties, assets and liabilities and those of his spouse or unmarried children under the age of twenty-one years.”

However, Agbonayinma, who chairs a sub-committee set up to investigate the matter, said: “We have been given a mandate by the bureau to investigate the allegation against some officials of CCB that we saw on the social media. 

"Let me be specific, one Jackson Ude twitted, and it went viral, that money was given to some officials of CCB by Akpabio. Because of that, a committee to investigate the allegation was set up, with myself as the chairman.

READ ALSO: NDDC: Akpabio Breaks Silence On Alleged $5m Bribe

“The committee is not to witch-hunt anyone but to do its job of defending the constitution of Nigeria. We invited Akpabio who, in his wisdom, came to give his own side of the story. At the moment we cannot pass judgement as the investigation is still in progress. All the accused parties remain innocent until the investigation is over.”

Akpabio was said to have denied the bribery allegation.

On the other hand, the NDDC boss may be declared wanted if he fails to honour Thursday’s invitation by the CCB, The Guardian has gathered. Akwa’s invitation followed the alleged rejection of Akpabio’s plea to give the NDDC boss a soft landing.

Akwa had failed to honour previous summons by the CCB to appear before an investigative committee set up to probe the alleged non-declaration of assets.

A reliable source at the CCB said: “The bureau is determined to see the matter through despite the pressure from Akpabio, who is still insisting that Akwa is being politically prosecuted. He came with Akwa on Thursday to negotiate a soft landing for him, but we will investigate the allegation to the letter and, thereafter, hand him over to the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) for prosecution.

“Akwa failed to appear before the committee last time he was invited, instead, he sent a letter to the agency that he was officially engaged. We have given him another invitation for Thursday this week. If he fails to appear, for whatever reason this time, the CCB will be left with no choice than to declare him wanted.”